Hear industry experts discuss which innovative approaches are reducing reliance on fossil-based materials, which raw materials show promise of replacing fossil-based materials, and what is needed for industry progression toward defossilisation.
Featuring:
- Pauline Ruiz, Expert in Sustainability, Technology & Markets | Nova Institute
- Jerome Bollard, Technical Director, Coatings & Construction | IMCD
- Helene Coulange, Key Account & Product Manager, Industrial Solutions | IMCD
Click above to watch our recent video or keep scrolling to read a summary of the discussion.
Defossilisation is a term used more and more often in the chemical industry to describe the goal of becoming independent of fossil-based materials. It requires an outside-of-the-box thinking approach. We must consider new alternative sources that may not have been tried before to push the use of sustainable solutions. Currently, fossil feedstocks are responsible for roughly 70% of all human-made greenhouse gas emissions.
So, how can we drive this percentage down? Read on to hear the perspectives of the industry experts.
What approaches can reduce the industry's reliance on fossil-based materials?
Pauline Ruiz, Expert in Sustainability, Technology & Markets | Nova Institute
Reducing the industry's reliance on fossil-based materials is crucial for addressing greenhouse gas emissions. While renewable energy like wind and solar is effective for the energy sector, it does not directly address the needs of the chemical and material industries, which rely heavily on carbon. To meet this challenge, we must transition to alternative carbon sources—biomass, CO₂ capture, and recycling. These sources collectively make up what is known as renewable carbon.
Recycling is a key strategy to maintain circularity in carbon use, with the aim of more than half the carbon demand being met through recycled materials in the future. This involves both mechanical recycling for plastics and advanced recycling technologies for materials that cannot be mechanically processed. However, recycling alone cannot fulfil the carbon demand due to technical limitations, necessitating the use of other renewable carbon sources.
Biomass is another critical component, but its use must be balanced to avoid biodiversity loss. Finally, CO₂ captured from the air or industrial point sources offers enormous potential for the future of materials production. Transitioning to these renewable carbon sources is essential to reduce the industry's reliance on fossil fuels.
Jerome Bollard, Technical Director, Coatings & Construction | IMCD
Innovative use of waste materials is becoming increasingly popular, with startups and established companies alike developing new raw materials from sources such as recycled tyres, windshields, eggshells, and agricultural waste. These materials are successfully being incorporated into applications like coatings formulations.
Looking ahead, molecular recycling presents a significant opportunity. This process can produce the same types of molecules currently derived from fossil fuels, supporting the transition to defossilised raw materials while maintaining quality and functionality.
Helene Coulange, Key Account & Product Manager, Industrial Solutions | IMCD
In daily industry discussions, the mass balance approach has emerged as an effective strategy to reduce reliance on fossil resources. This involves substituting a portion of fossil feedstocks with renewable alternatives within the supply chain, without modifying existing production processes. This approach maintains the high quality and performance of products, making it an attractive option for large chemical plants.
Biomass-based materials also show promise. Biomass can be sourced from fields, forests, or waste (e.g., agricultural, food, or paper waste) and converted through biochemical processes into new products such as organic acids and polymers. However, this method often requires new production infrastructure and significant investment in research and development. Furthermore, it is essential to balance biomass usage to avoid competition with food production, natural habitats, and land use, ensuring biodiversity and food security are protected.
Which raw materials are you watching that show promise to replace fossil-based materials?
Helene Coulange, Key Account & Product Manager, Industrial Solutions | IMCD
In the field of chemical intermediates, there is a unique opportunity to prioritize sustainability as this sector operates at the beginning of the value chain. A significant focus today involves replacing traditional building blocks and monomers derived from fossil fuels with renewable alternatives.
There are advancements in biotechnology, particularly fermentation, which is driving the development of bio-based materials. New startups and innovations are entering the market, proposing sustainable solutions for creating renewable building blocks. Examples include producing diols or polyols from agro-residues such as corn, wheat, straw, sugar beet, and even wood. These innovations pave the way for bio-based polymers and coatings with almost 100% renewable carbon content, marking a promising direction for the future.
Jerome Bollard, Technical Director, Coatings & Construction | IMCD
In coatings and construction, adopting sustainable materials begins with binders, the foundational raw material in formulations. Three paths can support defossilisation in these markets:
- Mass balance binders: A quick solution that reduces the carbon footprint by maintaining binder quality while using more sustainable feedstocks.
- Bio-based binders: These rely on agricultural waste as feedstock and represent a growing trend, though they require additional development for new formulations.
- Upcycled binders: Innovative processes repurpose waste materials into binders, offering another pathway to reducing environmental impact.
This dynamic area is evolving rapidly, necessitating vigilance to stay ahead of the curve.
Pauline Ruiz, Expert in Sustainability, Technology & Markets | Nova Institute
There is significant potential for advanced recycling and CO₂ utilisation as transformative solutions. Advanced recycling technologies address waste fractions unsuitable for mechanical recycling, such as depolymerization of PET into its monomers or producing pyrolysis oil as a substitute for naphtha in steam crackers.
Additionally, CO₂ utilization offers innovative pathways for creating platform chemicals like methanol, which can replace traditional feedstocks in various applications. Technologies using biotechnology or electrochemistry are advancing, offering renewable alternatives to conventional materials.
What is needed today for the industry to take its next leap forward in progress towards defossilisation?
Pauline Ruiz, Expert in Sustainability, Technology & Markets | Nova Institute
Significant efforts from industry, policy, and society are critical to advancing defossilisation. Success depends on tailored approaches for various renewable carbon sources:
- Biomass: Success hinges on land availability and robust political support. Policies should back all types of biomass, including non-food, food feedstock, and bio-waste.
- CO₂ utilization: Affordable renewable energy and green hydrogen supply are vital for scalability.
- Chemical recycling: Advanced recycling methods require reliable waste sourcing and renewable energy.
Political backing is essential. Smart policies can bridge the gap from now to 2050, ensuring companies remain competitive during the sustainability transition. A "level playing field" for renewable carbon solutions—including quotas for renewable carbon-based chemicals and plastics—can drive immediate progress. Policies should emphasize phasing out fossil carbon without bias among renewable sources.
Helene Coulange, Key Account & Product Manager, Industrial Solutions | IMCD
IMCD's recent global customer survey highlighted rising demand for sustainable solutions: 64% of respondents use bio-based materials and 21% plan to adopt them in the next three years. Three important factors will support and could even limit adoption in the coming years:
- Consumer & customer demand: Consumers increasingly demand non-fossil-based materials, a major driver for bio-based adoption.
- Cost competitiveness: High costs remain a barrier, with 50% citing expense as their biggest challenge. Bridging cost gaps while maintaining environmental and performance standards is essential for scalability.
- Policy support: Incentives, funding for innovation, and carbon taxes can motivate companies to integrate sustainable materials and meet decarbonization goals for 2030 and 2050.
Jerome Bollard, Technical Director, Coatings & Construction | IMCD
Multiple pathways, including bio-based materials, upcycling, and mass-balance materials, are key to reducing fossil carbon in raw materials. Often, combining approaches yields optimal results, ensuring both performance and a low carbon footprint. The industry must standardize measurements like carbon footprints and lifecycle assessments to guide informed decision-making. Accessible, comparable data will empower formulators to choose materials that are cost-effective and environmentally sustainable.
Current initiatives, such as the "Together for Sustainability" consortium, are addressing these challenges. Progress is expected in the coming years, helping unify methods and further enable the shift to defossilisation.
IMCD Industrial Solutions | Sustainable Solutions Program
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